Hi Friend,

David has started doing this thing where he just silently moves packages from the front porch to inside the house without saying anything, which I have decided means he is fine with all of it. We have a baby girl coming in August, a nursery to set up, a backyard that is getting a full overhaul (which obviously requires outdoor furniture and accessories, this is not negotiable), a baby sprinkle to host next weekend, and approximately none of my current clothes fitting my body. The packages are not going to stop. I have accepted this. David is... working on it.

In between the deliveries, we've been having a great week. Jamie discovered Caspar Babypants, which if you haven't heard of them, is kids' music that doesn't make you want to quietly dissociate, and we have a guest post from Natalie who found a playground in Tega Cay, South Carolina that she almost kept to herself. She came with photos this time. There's also a full events list for the week, including a tortoise meet-and-greet in Huntersville on Saturday that I'm telling you right now will sell out.

🌱 What We’re Doing

Your week in Charlotte, planned.

Taste of Charlotte takes over Tryon Street all weekend, and if you're doing it once, do it Sunday. Family Fun Day means a $15 unlimited activity wristband instead of buying coins per ride, and it wraps at 6pm so you're not stuck navigating Uptown after dark with a tired kid.

The rest of the weekend is stacked in a very specific way: there's a tortoise meet-and-greet in Huntersville on Saturday that sold out last year (register now, not later), mini golf on the Raptor Trail with actual birds of prey on Friday night, and Discovery Place doing sensory-friendly hours Sunday morning if crowds are the reason you haven't gone yet.

✨ A few standouts:

• Tortoise Meet & Greet: $10, two sessions, last year it sold out. It's tortoises. Register today.
• Birdies for Birdies: Mini golf at dusk with raptors along the trail. That sentence should be enough.
• Discovery Place Sensory-Friendly Hours: Calmer exhibits, noise-canceling headphones to borrow, IMAX in sensory-friendly format. First Sunday of every month going forward.

👉 Check out all 34 events here

🚨 On Our Radar

Quick hits you'll want to know about.

• Rosie's Coffee and Wine Bar is temporarily not serving beer or wine while they sort out some permitting stuff. Still open, still great for coffee. Just don't show up expecting a glass of rosé and then be sad about it.

   

• The inside lanes of I-277 are closed in both directions starting now and won't reopen for about four months. They're building the Rail Trail Bridge and demoing the center median, which means extra noise and possible overnight closures through June 9. Exit 1E to South Boulevard is also down to one lane. If you drive that stretch regularly, just know it's going to be a whole thing for a while.

   

• Charlotte Symphony's Summer Pops kicks off Sunday, June 7 at Symphony Park at SouthPark Mall, and it's a great one to put on the date night list. Gates open at 5pm but the concert doesn't start until 8:15pm, so this is firmly in the "get a sitter" category. Tickets are $15 in advance, kids are free. Grab yours here.

  New Mom School Ballantyne is hosting a Sip & See on June 17 from 1-2pm, and if you have a baby under six months this one is worth registering for. It's free, limited to 14 spots, and designed for moms who are in the thick of the newborn stage and looking for their people. Light snacks, studio tour, and an overview of their postpartum programs. Registration is required so don't sit on it. RSVP here.

  Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has switched to summer hours, and all locations are closed on Sundays until fall. If Sunday storytime or a weekend library run is part of your routine, plan accordingly.

• Pineville Regional Library Update: The Pineville Regional Library is still closed due to damage from a car crash. Please be sure to check the library’s website for updates on their reopening before you plan a visit

🌳 Where We're Playing

One place we loved this week.

This week's park review is a little different because it involves leaving North Carolina entirely(!) My friend Natalie, who wrote a guest post for the Sprout a few weeks ago, is back with another one, and she was almost tempted to keep this one to herself, which tells you everything you need to know. She also learned her lesson from last time and came with photos 😉.

Fully fenced, foam ground, shade for parents, a merry-go-round, and a little music section with a xylophone. It's the kind of playground that makes you feel like someone who actually has kids designed it. Full review on the blog, including the one thing you should know before you go.

Here's the full scoop →

Caspar Babypants, and honestly I'm into it too. We got Jamie a Yoto player a little while back and grabbed a couple of Caspar Babypants cards, having absolutely no idea what we were getting into. Turns out it's kids' music made by an actual musician, and it sounds like it. Real melodies. Lyrics that are silly without making you want to quietly excuse yourself from the room. No one is shrieking about the wheels on the bus at an unhinged tempo. It just sounds good, like someone sat down and actually wrote songs instead of recording whatever came out in one take and calling it a children's album.

Jamie asks for it by name now, which is how I know it's real and not just me projecting. We have it on in the car, in the house, basically whenever Jamie has any input on what's playing, which is increasingly often. Jamie's current favorite is Fiddlehead Fern, which gets requested on a loop. My personal favorite is Shortnin Bread, which I had completely forgotten existed until it came on and suddenly I was five years old again. Did not expect a toddler music discovery to send me spiraling into childhood nostalgia but here we are.

If you have a toddler and you're still suffering through whatever comes up when you search "kids songs" on Spotify, do yourself a favor: just search Caspar Babypants and let it run. They're on Spotify, so there's no barrier to entry here. We also have them on the Yoto player, which is worth its own separate newsletter section someday, but you don't need one to get started. Start with Fiddlehead Fern and Shortnin Bread and report back.

Help The Sprout grow. If one idea made your week easier, please forward this email or tag @thecharlottesprout so more Charlotte parents can find us. 🌱